Happy Wednesday to you, Tri-County Pest Control fans, and welcome to our newest edition of Wacky Pest Wednesday. This week, we’re talking about the boxelder bug.

The boxelder bug is one of the lesser-known pests in our region, but if you know where to look, you’ll see that these little critters are quite abundant. Boxelders are small, beetle-looking insects, with distinct reddish or orange markings on their backs. However, as opposed to a beetle, boxelders are wood-boring insects, making their homes in trees and other shrubbery. Often, you will find a boxelder getting comfy in a boxelder tree (hence the name) or a maple tree, and can often be found crawling along the sunny-side of buildings.

Boxelders are the most active in the spring, and settle down throughout the summer until it is find to find shelter for the winter. While these bugs can’t bite, they are seen a nuisance pests, because they will invade your home in a brigade if given the opportunity to. They are not aggressive, but they will stain your carpet, drapery, and linens a red-orange color from their feces.

The best possible thing you can do to prevent an infestation of boxelder bugs in your home is to make sure that there are no cracks in your siding, foundation, or weather stripping that can allow these guys to slip by. So long as your home is properly sealed, there is little chance for them to invade your home, even if they are trying their hardest! However, if you do find yourself at the short-end of the stick, just know that we are here to come to the rescue.

So there you have it, a little bit of fun fact on the boxelder bug to help get you through the rest of the week. We’ll see you next week for another edition of Wacky Pest Wednesday!